How did you first get into the arts?
I grew up in Cincinnati. I remember doing art projects, and I would see such big ideas, but I would only be able to accomplish a draft of it. I always bit off more than I could chew.
With Hamilton, did you ever feel you bit off more than you could chew?
It’s the biggest story I’ve ever told, and the most choreography I’ve ever done. Though I spent less time working on it than I did with Bring It On or In The Heights because Hamilton came to me so evolved already.
In life? What are some examples there?
Later in the show, the family themes. I have two kids, and while creatingHamilton, my daughter was fighting cancer. The whole second act has such resonance for me. It was hard for me to choreograph, it hit so close to home when Hamilton’s son is dying. One of the most simplistic moments in the show is also one of my favorite moments, when Hamilton gets shot in the end. Two men slide next to him and row him across the Hudson. That hit me like a thunderbolt. I can always feel myself carrying my daughter to the hospital. So those things became less about the choreography and more about events that hit home. (Blankenbuehler’s daughter has since recovered.)
(via)
]]>